Praised for its "teachability," Thinking Through Communication provides an excellent, balanced introduction to basic theories and principles of communication, making sense of a complex field through a variety of approaches. In an organized and coherent manner, Thinking Through Communication covers a full range of topics from the history of communication study to the methods used by current communication scholars to understand human interaction.

The book explores face to face communication in a variety of traditional contexts: interpersonal, group, organizational, public, intercultural, computer mediated communication and the mass media Written in a clear, lively style, Trenholm's overall approach including her use of examples and interesting illustrations helps develop a better understanding of communication as a field of study and an appreciation for ways in which communication impacts our daily lives.

Part 1 The Communication Tradition
Part 2 Definitions, Models, and Perspectives
Part 3 Decoding Messages: Listening and Perception
Part 4 Encoding Messages: Spoken Language
Part 5 Encoding Messages: Nonverbal Communication
Part 6 Interpersonal Communication
Part 7 Group Communication
Part 8 Organizational Communication
Part 9 Public Communication
Part 10 Perparing and Presenting Public Speeches
Part 11 Communication and the Media
Part 12 Intercultural Communication
Part 13 Methods of Discovery